"How do you… know me?" Sero asked the intimidating man warily.
Gregor grinned.
"I have my ways of gaining information. It takes more than just strength to lead the Janitors, you know. I had my eyes on you as soon as you took your assessment."
He stepped closer to Sero, who stood his ground despite the overwhelming pressure he felt from the man.
"You were able to reach A-rank in a few days when you were initially graded as an F-rank. I’m curious to know how you did so."
Sero hesitated and glanced nervously at Amaya. She nodded encouragingly.
"Uh, my Scholar class lets me copy the skills of other Ascendants," he began slowly. "That’s how I was able to pass the trial relatively easily."
Gregor studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he chuckled, a low rumbling that sounded like thunder.
"How intriguing. I have never heard of your class before. If what you said was true, then I would love to have you join the Janitors as an exclusive contractor. Or perhaps you would like to fully join our ranks?"
Sero hesitated, glancing at Amaya again.
"I think it’d be best if he took some time to think it over," Amaya quickly got the hint and stepped up. "Sero’s still adjusting to all of this, so I hope you don’t mind, Mr. Stone."
Gregor flicked his eyes between Amaya and Sero. Then he chuckled and nodded.
"Very well," He gave them a small smile. "My offer still stands. Come to me if you change your mind, or you if you want to talk about anything else."
As he turned and walked away, Sero sighed with relief, realizing that he had been holding his breath.
"Holy shit," he turned to Amaya with a bewildered look. "That guy was so intimidating."
She smiled reassuringly.
"He can be a bit daunting at first, but he's actually quite fair and easy to work with once you get to know him. He's the one who led the effort to unionize the mercenary branches, after all. And as the leader of the Janitors, he's got a lot of influence."
"So, he's pretty powerful?"
Amaya nodded. "Among all the S-ranks, he's probably in the top 10."
"Damn..." Sero muttered. Despite having reached A-rank himself, he found himself in awe at the gap between them and someone like Gregor. It was like looking up at a mountain, wondering if he'd ever be able to climb it. But Amaya's words gave him hope. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to bridge and eventually overcome that gap.
He glanced at Amaya again, feeling grateful for her presence. "So, what do you think?" he asked her, looking for her input on what to do next. "Should I consider his offer?"
She made a face. "Honestly, it's up to you. But, if you want my advice, just take it slow for now. Do some small side work at the moment and see what you like first."
Sero nodded, considering her words. He knew that Amaya was probably right. It'd be best to take things slowly, at least at first. There was no rush in making a decision, after all. And if he ever decided to work with Gregor or even join the Janitors, he'd have plenty of time to get used to the idea.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
After Amaya drove him back to his apartment, Sero took the chance to rest for the moment, mulling over everything that had happened.
The A-rank trial had proven to be difficult, but Sero had managed to overcome it without relying on his strength or abilities. Then, he later found out that a big shot had been keeping an eye on him ever since he resurrected. Frankly at this point, Sero felt like things were moving rather quickly. Not that he minded.
"Are you ok, champion?" Aphiel asked.
"I'm fine," Sero replied, sitting up on his bed. He stretched and yawned loudly. "I was just thinking about everything that happened today," He glanced at the beaten clock on his wall. "It's still early in the evening, but maybe I can meet up with Nala, see if she wants to do some mercenary work together."
"You think she'd actually agree?"
"Who knows?" Sero shrugged. "Won't know unless I try."
He grabbed his phone and opened up his contacts, which only had two numbers. He skipped past Amaya's number and hit Nala's, sending her a text. Sero flopped back on the bed after he finished, wondering if she would respond.
To his surprise, his phone immediately buzzed. Sero sat up and quickly glanced at the screen, smirking as he read the message.
"Sweet. She's down to meet up."
Sero sat at a nearby café close to the abandoned street he first met Nala. Dressed in the same clothes he wore to his A-rank trial, he entertained himself by watching pretty women pass by.
"Champion... Can you be less lecherous? Or at least be discreet?" Aphiel complained exasperatedly as Sero was given dirty looks from the women he leered at.
"Hey, I'm just admiring the view," Sero defended himself, taking a sip of his drink. "Anyway, there she is." He caught sight of Nala as she walked up to their table, a neutral expression on her face. She was wearing a sleeveless black top and black shorts that accentuated her curves. Her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail.
"Hey, you look great." Sero grinned as Nala came up to him.
"Thanks," Nala replied evenly, sitting down across from him. "You don't look too bad yourself."
"So, what do you say? Wanna work together on some mercenary work?" Sero asked, not wanting to waste time.
Nala shrugged. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"
Sero grinned. "Well, I found a nice little job off a mercenary branch’s task board. Apparently, there's a stray monster lurking within an abandoned subway station that's been planned to undergo renovations. I was thinking we could go get rid of it and get some nice pay from it."
"Sounds easy enough," Nala nodded. "But you know how it is. These things are never as easy as they seem. How much are they offering?"
Sero's smile faltered.
"Ah, it's only 500 gold after the commission fees..." He glanced away awkwardly. Ever since the apocalypse occurred, money had been globally converted into gold, which was abundantly found in monsters.
"Ok. We can split it fifty-fifty." Nala simply nodded.
"You're not surprised by the pay?"
She shrugged again.
"Monster hunting isn't very common, since there are mercenaries and guilds that do it even without the rewards. The main profits come from anticipated monster outbreaks."
Sero gazed at her with a blank stare.
"Recently, Ascendants with premonition abilities have been able to detect upcoming monster outbreaks to an extent," Nala began to explain as she saw the confused look on his face. "So, branches will post jobs that mercenaries can take. Those mercenaries will get their pay if they manage to harvest whatever they can from the monsters they're able to kill from the outbreaks."
"Oh," Sero slowly understood. "So there's actually useful items or parts that drop from monsters. Like a game?"
"Exactly," Nala nodded. "But, it's not as simple as that. There's a lot of politics and competition between the different branches. Some of them will hire people to sabotage the other teams, or pay them off to keep the monsters around for themselves. It can get pretty messy."
"So... you're saying there's a chance we'll have to fight other mercs too?" Sero raised an eyebrow.
Nala shook her head.
"When it comes to hunting stray monsters, there's not much competition for it, since they're most likely stragglers of a completed monster outbreak. That's why the money rewards are so low for jobs like those, since there's usually a supply of parts or items from that species."
"Oh, ok. That explains why a lot of the jobs I saw were asking for mercenaries on standby." Sero finished his drink and stood up. "Anyways, should we get going?"
Nala nodded and stood up as well. "Yeah, let's go." They left the café, heading toward the abandoned subway station where the stray monster was supposed to be lurking.
The walk to the station was mostly silent, with only the occasional comment from Sero to break the silence. They both knew what they were getting into and the potential risks involved. As they approached the entrance, they could see a group of guards stationed outside, presumably there to keep people out and make sure no unauthorized personnel entered the area. They showed their IDs to the guards, who then let them pass.
Sero raised an eyebrow as Nala put her ID away.
"So, the requirement for this task calls for A-rank mercenaries. Does that mean you're an A-rank too?"
"Yes, it's just a formality," Nala replied dismissively. "The guards probably just want to make sure we know what we're doing."
Sero grunted. Though he was mildly curious as to why Nala didn't care about rankings, he wasn't one to press for more details.
As they walked down the stairs and into the abandoned subway, Sero used his Perfect Analysis to survey the environment.
The subway tunnel stretched out before them, dimly lit by flickering emergency lights. The walls were coated with a layer of dust and grime, and the air was thick with the stench of mold and decay. The tracks themselves were rusted and overgrown with weeds, clearly unused for years. The ceiling high above was adorned with intricate designs, remnants of a more lavish time when the subway must have been bustling with life.
As they continued deeper into the tunnel, the sounds of scuttling and rustling could be heard from the shadows. Sero motioned for Nala to stay close as they crept forward cautiously, their weapons drawn. The stray monster was known to lurk in the abandoned train cars, feeding on the occasional stray animal or scavenger that dared to venture too far into its lair.
"Hold on." Nala held a hand in front of Sero and concentrated.
Sero grunted in surprise as his body buzzed with power, realizing Nala was using a skill.
"Oh, Detect? That's a nice skill." he murmured as he copied it. Nala lowered her hand and crept forward, signaling Sero to follow.
As they moved deeper into the tunnel, the sound of rustling grew louder. Suddenly, a large shape darted out from between two train cars and disappeared into the shadows. Sero and Nala exchanged glances, their hearts racing with adrenaline. The stray monster was nearby.
Sero began to channel his energy and mana efficiency, taking the opportunity to try out the new Detect skill he copied from Nala. His senses became heightened, and he was acutely aware of a hulking mass lurking in the darkness.
"It's here," Nala whispered to him. "Be ready for anything." The two mercenaries crept forward, their weapons at the ready. As they rounded the corner, they came face-to-face with the stray monster. It was a massive, scaled beast with razor-sharp claws and glinting yellow eyes. Its body was coated in a layer of dirt and grime, and its breath reeked of rot.
"Ugh. Gross." Sero wrinkled his nose at the odor.
The monster let out a low growl, its yellow eyes fixed on the two mercenaries. It was clearly no ordinary beast; it possessed an intelligence and cunning that made it a formidable opponent. Sero and Nala exchanged a quick glance, nodding to each other in understanding.
Sero took charge, firing mana railguns that pierced through the monster as Nala dissolved into shadows.
The monster howled in pain, but it was clear that the two mercenaries had underestimated its resilience. Its massive form easily shrugged off the blows as it charged at Sero, swinging its claws wildly. Sero barely dodged the attack, rolling out of the way just in time. He quickly repositioned himself and fired another volley of mana railguns, scoring a direct hit on the monster's shoulder. The impact sent the beast reeling, giving Nala the opening she needed.
She rematerialized and launched a shower of daggers that lodged themselves deep in the monster's chest. With a snap, the daggers exploded in a flash of purple mana.
The monster let out a roar of pain and rage, its eyes locked on Nala. It lashed out again, but Sero was there, blocking its massive claws with his sword. He grunted as he struggled to keep the beast at bay while Nala circled around it, looking for an opening.
"I fucked up! It's heavier than I thought!" Sero yelled out to Nala as he fell to one knee. His arms burned with the effort of pushing against the monster's giant claws.
Nala took advantage of the distraction and dashed behind the beast, sinking her daggers deep into its spine and detonating them with a snap. The monster roared in pain, its claws scrabbling at the floor as it tried to regain its footing with torrents of putrid blood flowing from its gaping back. Sero seized the opportunity and lunged forward, thrusting his sword into the creature's neck and yanking it downwards. It collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash, its yellow eyes glassy and lifeless as more blood gushed from its neck.
"Fuck," Sero swore as he took a moment to catch his breath and cycled his energy to recover. "Would've gone better if I was a Tank or something."
Nala looked at him and chuckled flatly. "Don't worry, you did great. You've got plenty of skills to make up for the lack of defense."
"Then I guess I'll have to copy some defensive skills somewhere." Sero muttered as Nala conjured a mana knife and began to carve into the monster. "What are you doing?"
"I think this monster is similar to the Werebeast I killed the night we first met," Nala grunted as she dug deeper into the monster, careful not to let the blood splatter on her. "So, there should be a toxic core somewhere around... Found it."
With a triumphant gleam in her eyes, she pulled out a fist-sized mass of rotten flesh from the monster's corpse. Within it was a spherical orb of translucent gold with black flecks swimming inside. "This should be worth quite a bit. Maybe another 300-400 gold?"
"Oh?" An evil glint of greed flickered in Sero's eyes. "I like the sound of that."
"Right..." Nala shifted uncomfortably at his expression but composed herself. "It's non-taxable, so we'd get the full price for it if we sell it."
"Or we could take that off your hands for you." A voice suddenly called out to the two.
They both turned around to see a tall, burly man with a scar across his face and a nasty looking sword at his hip, flanked by three of his companions.
"Who the fuck are you guys?" Sero asked, getting the sense that things were going to escalate.
The burly man chuckled, his expression menacing. "You really don't know who we are, do you? We're the ones who were supposed to get that toxic core." He gestured to his companions, who all looked like they were itching for a fight. "And we're not leaving without it."
"I think they might be Vultures..." Nala murmured to Sero. "Mercenaries who tag behind others and steal the rewards after the hard work is done."
"Hey, that sounds like someone I know." Aphiel piped up.
"I'll give you guys till the count of three to leave." Sero ignored Aphiel as he warned the mercenary Vultures. Memories of his past began to surface, and Sero could feel a rising anger well up within him.
"Oh, you're going to make us fight, are you?" The burly man sneered, stepping forward. "You're not in much of a position to make demands, kid."
Nala stepped up beside Sero, mana knives already in her hands.
"This might not be the best idea, but I'll fight alongside you, Sero."
"What? No, I'm going to nuke this place." Sero had a sadistic glee in his eyes as he glanced at Nala.
"Wait, what?" Nala looked confused, but stayed close to him.
"Did I stutter? I said I'm going to nuke the fuck out of this place," Sero grinned maliciously. "An old subway station happens to collapse because some mercenaries were hunting a monster? No one would think twice."
Nala glanced around, her eyes widening. "You're not serious?"
"Unfortunately, he is." Aphiel lamented in Sero's thoughts.
"Just take the toxic core and get out of here. I'll follow you soon." Sero turned back to the Vultures with an unhinged expression.
"What the fuck?" The burly man hesitated upon seeing his face.
Nala frowned, shaking her head. "Sero, I don't think this is a good idea–"
"Go!" Sero shouted as he haphazardly began firing mana nukes everywhere.
Nala shrieked and dissolved into shadows, taking the toxic core with her as she flew back to the entrance.
The burly man and his companions shouted in confusion, dodging most of the mana nukes as they exploded all around the abandoned subway station.
"What the hell is this kid doing?" one of the Vultures shouted, ducking behind a metal beam for cover.
"Letting off some steam." Sero cackled as he kept up his onslaught, lighting the entire subway green. He was careful not to let the power of his nukes out of hand.
Gradually, Sero began to feel his initial rage dissipate, and he soon ceased his destruction. He let out a cathartic sigh and surveyed his handiwork.
The abandoned subway station was reduced to rubble, with only a few beams of twisted metal and concrete remaining standing. A crater now marked the spot where the monster's corpse had lain, and a thick cloud of dust hung in the air, obscuring everything. The mercenary Vultures were strewn about on the ground, badly wounded, but not dead.
Sero saw the burly man bleeding profusely on the ground and a menacing smirk bloomed across his face as he slowly walked towards him.
"Vultures, huh?" He stood over and gazed down at the man with contempt.
The burly man spat blood at him and snarled, "Fuck you, kid. We'll be back for this."
Sero knelt down with a blank expression. The burly man suddenly shivered with fear as he stared into his eyes.
"Please, do come back. I could always use more target practice." Sero whispered quietly.
The burly man's face paled as he struggled to speak. "You... You're insane."
Sero chuckled creepily as he stood up and began to walk away.
